Building on my earlier posts about motivational design: Another well documented example are the signs that give you feedback on your current speed, usually in residential areas if you are exceeding the speed limit.
Radar Speed Sign - CC - Richard Drdal
This is another example of where social proof (via Dan Lockton) of your speed is being fed back to you to motivate a change in behaviour. In this instance awareness of your speed is similar to the previously posted examples of awareness of your weight or awareness of the ambient noise level.
The difference with this example is that above the feedback on your performance is another sign indicating the desired performance – in this case the maximum legal speed limit. These two signs are therefore highlighting both awareness of the speed limit and it’s relevance to your current behaviour. This not only increases the social impact as everyone can see by what extent you are exceeding the speed limit, but also gives you a goal for the extent by which you have to modify your behaviour.
The added beauty of this example is that of course if you’re behaving like a good law abiding citizen then the lower speed indicating sign is not triggered (it only comes on if you are exceeding the speed limit). Thus, if feedback regarding your current speed is not relevant because you are already within the legal limit, the sign doesn’t trouble you with the extra information (or distraction).
Of course some signs in different parts of the world give you feedback on your speed regardless of whether or not it exceeds the speed limit, which has the effect of another social nudge, but this time a positive one as people can observe that you are within safe limits and therefore a good driver.
What do you think is the best strategy – should the sign only come on if the information it is communicating is relevant or is it better that you receive both positive and negative feedback on your driving performance?
Put another way, in the design of products and services should awareness always be accompanied by information that makes it relevant (as in this example) or is it enough sometimes to simply generate awareness of various environmental or behavioural characteristics without necessarily being explicit about why? (Such as awareness of your weight or awareness of the ambient noise level).
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Tags: ARCS Model, Awareness, Design Research, Human Centred Design, Motivation, Motivational Design, Relevance, Social Nudge